Pattern Book Large Lot Apartments 03: plans, lot sizes and apartment yield
A competition winning courtyard building of 58 to 140 apartments by Andrew Burges Architects, combining corner apartments with terrace like rows around a garden courtyard.
Pattern Book Large Lot Apartments 03 is a mid rise apartment design in the NSW Housing Pattern Book. Sydney practice Andrew Burges Architects won the design competition for it, and Government Architect NSW approved it for the book in November 2025.
Ground floor apartments open straight onto the primary streets while services and driveways come off the secondary street. Upper apartments are reached from wide walkways that look over a central landscaped courtyard, and every apartment has at least two orientations for daylight and cross ventilation. Two storey apartments split living and sleeping across levels around a linear service spine the architects call the compactus.
The published range is 58 to 140 apartments across 4 to 6 storeys, from studios to 4 bedroom homes, on lots from 3,551 to 6,566 square metres. Use the seven official lot conditions and the complete plan sequence below to compare configurations, then check an address before relying on a pattern fit.
At a glance
| Designed by | Andrew Burges Architects |
|---|---|
| Building type | Residential flat building |
| Homes | 58 to 140 apartments |
| Storeys | 4 to 6 habitable storeys |
| Bedrooms | Studio up to 4 bedroom options |
| Site type | Mid block, end block, half block and whole block sites |
| Minimum lot | 67 m wide × 53 m deep (3,551 m²) |
| Published lot range | 3,551 to 6,566 m², 67 to 127.5 m wide |
| Drawn lot conditions | 67 to 134 m wide and 53 to 63 m deep |
| Maximum height | 22 m from existing ground level |
| Slope | Up to 0.5 m of fall in one direction and 2 m in the other |
| Gross floor area | 5,803 to 14,162 m² |
| Net efficiency | 93 to 94 per cent net saleable area to gross floor area |
| Floor space ratio | 1.621:1 to 2.1:1 |
| Parking | 30 to 120 spaces, basement or on grade |
| Licence | Licence from $25,000 per lot |
| Approval | Development application with reduced assessment |
Will it fit my block?
The development standards set the floor: a lot at least 67 metres wide and 3,551 square metres, with the width measured at the front of the building line. The official key metrics widen that to lots between 67 and 127.5 metres wide and 3,551 and 6,566 square metres.
The seven cards below are the complete set of lot conditions on the official applicable lot sizes sheet. They keep the sheet's own boundary, its width and depth dimensions and its setback figures: 3.5 metres to the front and rear streets, 1.5 metres to a tertiary street or boundary, and 9 metres for the through site link on one side.
The building grows by adding terrace modules on a 5.3 metre grid, so the same pattern serves lots from 67 to 99 metres wide. Past 99 metres the pattern doubles into two buildings with a 12 or 18 metre through site link between them. The units per core grouping noted on each card is a per core figure, not a building total.







Check your address
Type your address to load your actual block from the NSW cadastre, including its boundaries, zoning and planning layers. Dudils screens lot size and orientation to identify patterns that could work. It does not complete a planning eligibility assessment: it does not confirm contours, hazards, easements, sewer, waste vehicle access or street frontage requirements. Check a current survey, title information and State and council mapping before committing to the land or the licence.
We’ll load your NSW lot, ready to screen against the Pattern Book.
Where you can build it
The mid rise patterns only apply in the areas the NSW Government has opened up for more homes: low and mid rise housing areas under section 163 of the Housing SEPP, and transport oriented development areas under Chapter 5 of the same policy, where a residential flat building is permitted with consent in the zone. You can look these areas up on the NSW Planning Portal map, or type your address above and the lot finder checks them for you.
The pattern is designed for mid block, end block, half block and whole block sites, and the siting sheet also shows island, double block, corner and multiblock arrangements. On a mid block site the through site link has to be secured through an approved masterplan so access carries through to the adjoining property.
One detail is easy to miss: the pattern's own drawings tie the storey count to the transport oriented development band, showing 6 storeys within 400 metres of a station and 5 storeys from 400 to 800 metres, and one lot condition is marked for 400 to 800 metre sites only. Where the pattern applies, its development standards prevail over inconsistent local controls, so the lot size, height and setback numbers on this page hold even where a council plan says otherwise.

Plans for the base building
The base pattern is a square doughnut: four single storey corner apartments hold the corners, terrace like rows of one and two storey apartments run between them, and a landscaped courtyard sits in the middle. Four cores serve the building, each reached from a wide access balcony that overlooks the courtyard.
The complete level sequence below runs from the basement to the roof and includes both ground floor options and both fourth floor schemes. The apartment mix sheet counts 18 apartments on the ground floor, 4 on level 1, 20 on level 2, 4 on level 3 and 12 on level 4, which is 58 apartments in the base pattern. The 6 storey scheme replaces the level 4 communal floor with a full residential floor and adds level 5.
The base pattern measures 5,803 m² of gross floor area, 5,439 m² of net saleable area and 16,362 m² of gross external area, with 977.35 m² of communal open space, 432.25 m² of deep soil and 686.79 m² of tree canopy. Basement geometry and parking capacity remain subject to detailed structural, traffic, services and fire engineering.













Apartment sizes and mix
These are the internal areas from the official apartment type sheets, with ceilings of at least 2.7 metres in habitable rooms. Every apartment has a balcony, and every apartment has at least two orientations, which is how the pattern reaches 100 per cent cross ventilation.
The mix changes with the parking option. Studios only appear in the on grade parking scheme, where they take the ground floor street frontage that the two bedroom terraces occupy in the basement scheme.
| Studio | 48.9 to 49.7 m² internal, 8.1 m² balcony, on grade parking scheme only |
|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | 48.9 to 49.7 m² internal, 7.9 m² balcony |
| 2 bedroom | 94.3 to 96.0 m² internal, 11.3 to 12.1 m² balcony |
| 3 bedroom | 104.5 to 118.0 m² internal, 11.4 to 25.3 m² balcony |
| 4 bedroom | 143.7 m² internal, 15.1 to 15.5 m² balcony |
| Base pattern mix | 12 one bedroom (21 per cent), 24 two bedroom (41 per cent), 18 three bedroom (31 per cent) and 4 four bedroom (7 per cent), 58 in total |
| Ceilings | 2.7 m in habitable rooms, 2.4 m elsewhere |
| Cross ventilation | 100 per cent of apartments |
| Livable housing | Rated beyond minimum against the ABCB Livable Housing Design Standard; the three bedroom corner types can also be adapted to AS 4299 for adaptable housing |

How the design adapts
The pattern is a kit with strict rules rather than a single fixed building. What you can change: the lot size across the seven official conditions, the storey count from 4 to 6, the parking option, the character scheme and its colour way, optional solar panels and awnings, and whether the plan is mirrored to suit the slope.
What stays fixed: the central courtyard, the ground floor activation of the primary street, the terrace and corner apartment arrangement, the stacked wet areas and stairs in the compactus, and the 9 metre wide through site link that carries services and waste collection. Every change, flexible ones included, has to be declared in the design verification statement that goes with the development application.
Slope is the tightest limit here. The pattern's own sheets record a maximum 500 millimetre north to south gradient and a maximum 2,000 millimetre east to west gradient, and the selections page describes that as 0.5 metres of upslope and 2 metres of downslope. Dudils screens slope from the national elevation model, which is indicative and not a survey, so measure the fall across your site from a current survey before assuming a fit.







Material palettes
There are two character schemes. Scheme 01 is brickwork with painted fibre cement board. Scheme 02 is rendered masonry, in a textured splatter dash finish, with painted fibre cement board. Each comes in three colour ways: terracotta, sage and neutral.
Both schemes share a common palette of clear glass brick to the fire stair, exposed off form concrete, anodised aluminium panels, aluminium balustrades and a galvanised cyclone wire mesh screen to the entry facade. Stacked wet areas and services are expressed as vertical brick bands on the facades. Retractable fabric awnings are an optional character detail. Any substitution still has to hold the intended colour, profile and finish relationships in the technical package.








Things to watch out for
Dudils screens lot size and orientation to identify patterns that could work. It does not complete a planning eligibility assessment. Before buying a site, placing an option on it or purchasing the pattern licence, check current State and local council mapping and get professional advice.
Rule out bush fire prone land, including the lowest BAL rating of 12.5, and excluded flood prone land. Heritage items and conservation areas, landslip risk land, registered easements that affect the proposed building area, coastal hazard land, foreshore land and unsewered land also need to be ruled out. Battle axe lots are expressly excluded from the irregular lot adaptations.
Check the survey contours carefully. The pattern allows 0.5 metres of fall in one direction and 2 metres in the other, which is a flat site by most standards, and Dudils screens slope from the national elevation model, which is indicative and not a survey. Check sewer location, easements and other title restrictions against the proposed footprint as well as the mapped planning layers.
The building runs to at least 67 metres of frontage and needs weekly on site waste collection with a heavy rigid vehicle using the through site link, so vehicle access, turning and the public domain interface matter early. Parking varies from 30 to 120 spaces across the range, and the on grade option needs a wider lot than the basement option for the same building.
Overshadowing is the constraint that most often reduces a scheme. A site north of existing homes can easily overshadow neighbours to the south, and neighbours must keep at least 3 hours of sun to half their private open space between 9am and 3pm on 21 June, evidenced with shadow diagrams. Ask Good Architect to undertake a site feasibility study before buying land, placing an option or purchasing the pattern licence so these constraints and the likely yield can be tested together.
Development standards
These are the numeric controls specific to this pattern. They sit in Chapter 7 of the Housing SEPP and prevail over inconsistent local controls where the pattern applies.
| Maximum storeys | 6 habitable storeys, rooftop facilities excluded |
|---|---|
| Maximum height | 22 m from existing ground level |
| Height exclusions | Lift overruns, plant and services need a further 2.26 m and sit above the limit |
| Minimum lot size | 3,551 m² |
| Minimum lot width | 67 m, measured at the front of the building line |
| Minimum street setback | 3.5 m to the front and rear streets, relative to the lobby entry |
| Minimum side setback | 9 m, including the through site link |
| Tertiary street or boundary | 1.5 m |
| Ceilings | 2.7 m habitable, 2.4 m non habitable |
| Deep soil | 7 per cent under 650 m² of site area, 10 per cent from 650 to 1,500 m², 15 per cent above 1,500 m² |
| Solar access | At least 70 per cent of apartments get 2 hours of direct sun to living spaces between 8am and 4pm |
| Overshadowing | Neighbours keep at least 3 hours of sun to half their private open space between 9am and 3pm on 21 June |
| Waste collection | On site, weekly, all streams |
| Site conditions | Mid block, end block, half block and whole block |
Cost and approval
The design data lists the standard licence as licence from $25,000 per lot. On 6 August 2026 the official shop showed a subsidised price of $2,500 against $25,000, described as subsidised for the first 6 months, and marked the product sold out. Price and availability can change, so check the shop before you plan around either.
The licence package provides the technical drawings in PDF and DWG formats, technical guidance, the editable design verification statement template, the pattern adaptations, the NSW Housing Pattern Book landscape design guide and a unique pattern identification number for your application. Files are delivered electronically within 5 business days.
You then engage a design team to adapt the drawings to your site. The design verification statement must be completed by an architect on the NSW Register of Architects, confirming every fixed and adapted feature is carried into the application.
Reduced assessment removes the slow parts of a normal apartment development application, because the design questions are already answered: no design review panel and no reassessment against the Apartment Design Guide. It does not remove survey, site testing, engineering, traffic, waste, landscape or consultant reports, and every application still has to demonstrate BASIX and NatHERS compliance and meet the ABCB Livable Housing Design Standard.
The pattern drawings are indicative designs for planning approval, not construction drawings. After consent you still need full construction documentation, engineers and practitioners registered under the Design and Building Practitioners Act for this Class 2 building. Start with a Good Architect site feasibility study before committing to the land or the licence.
FAQ
What is the minimum lot size for Pattern Book Large Lot Apartments 03?
A lot at least 67 metres wide and 3,551 square metres, which the drawings show as a 67 by 53 metre base pattern. Lot width is measured at the front of the building line. The official key metrics run to lots 127.5 metres wide and 6,566 square metres.
How many apartments does it provide?
The published whole building range is 58 to 140 apartments. The drawn base pattern on the smallest lot provides 58 apartments: 12 one bedroom, 24 two bedroom, 18 three bedroom and 4 four bedroom. Larger lots, the 6 storey scheme and the double building condition lift the number, and the parking option changes the ground floor mix.
How tall is the building?
Four to six habitable storeys, with a maximum height of 22 metres from existing ground level. Lift overruns, plant and services need a further 2.26 metres and sit above that limit under their own allowance. The pattern's own drawings show 6 storeys within 400 metres of a station and 5 storeys from 400 to 800 metres.
Can parking be at ground level?
Yes. Basement and on grade options are both drawn. The choice matters more than usual here, because on grade parking moves the communal courtyard up to level 1, replaces the ground floor terrace apartments with studios and needs a wider lot: 72.25 metres against 66.75 metres for the same building.
What is the through site link for?
It is a 9 metre wide pedestrian and service route along one side of the site. It carries the weekly on site waste collection, gives service access and provides a public thoroughfare. It is a fixed feature at every lot size, and on a mid block site it has to be secured through an approved masterplan so access carries through to the adjoining property.
Can it work on a sloping or irregular site?
Only just. The sheets record a maximum 500 millimetre north to south gradient and a maximum 2,000 millimetre east to west gradient, with the plan mirrored so the basement ramp lands on the low side. Irregular lots can be adapted if the minimum setbacks are still met, but battle axe lots are excluded. Dudils screens slope from the national elevation model, which is indicative and not a survey, and it does not screen lot shape, so both need a current survey and site specific design review.
Which orientations does the pattern suit?
The orientation study tests 13 rotations from due east through due north to due west. Due north scores 93 per cent solar access between 8am and 4pm, due east 89 per cent and due west 96 per cent, all rated optimal. Intermediate rotations score between 63 and 79 per cent and are rated good or limited. A due south frontage is not offered.
What site conditions can rule out this pattern?
Bush fire prone land, even at the lowest BAL rating of 12.5, excluded flood prone land, heritage items and conservation areas, landslip risk land, registered easements that conflict with the building, coastal hazard land, foreshore land, unsewered land and battle axe lots can rule it out. So can a fall greater than the pattern allows, or a site where waste and fire vehicle access cannot be resolved.
What does the pattern licence cost?
Licence from $25,000 per lot, set by the NSW Government. On 6 August 2026 the official shop showed a subsidised price of $2,500 against $25,000 and marked the product sold out, so confirm the current price and availability on the shop before you plan around it.
Who designed Pattern Book Large Lot Apartments 03?
Andrew Burges Architects, a Sydney practice founded in 2001, designed it. The design won the competition for this pattern and Government Architect NSW approved it for inclusion in the NSW Housing Pattern Book in November 2025.
Do I need an architect to use the pattern?
Yes. The design verification statement lodged with the development application must be completed by an architect on the NSW Register of Architects, and you will need a design team to adapt the drawings to your site. Good Architect can first test the lot, planning constraints, likely yield, orientation and shadows through a feasibility study.
Where in NSW can the pattern be used?
In low and mid rise housing areas under section 163 of the Housing SEPP and in transport oriented development areas under Chapter 5, where a residential flat building is permitted with consent. Dudils screens lot size, orientation and slope, the slope from the national elevation model, which is indicative and not a survey. You must separately check flood and bush fire mapping, heritage, landslip risk, registered easements, coastal hazards, foreshore controls, sewer availability and battle axe exclusions with council and qualified advisers.